“There will be no in-person activities permitted,” the Prime Minister's Statement announced. Only essential services such as medical treatment and groceries will be open. Then yesterday they announced a similar lockdown for Cat Island and North and Central Andros.
The big fear, say officials, is a severe outbreak in the family islands. These islands have minimal medical services due to the small populations and the physical remoteness of these locations.
So, for now, tourism is shut down at these locations. For more information you can read about the individual lockdowns at these links:
https://thenassauguardian.com/two-week-lockdown-for-bullocks-harbour-and-great-harbour-cay/
https://thenassauguardian.com/14-day-lockdown-for-cat-island-and-north-and-central-andros/
]]>
I currently use a Suunto D4f as my freedive computer and I had an apple watch as my sports watch. I enjoyed the apple watch for sports, I could play music to headphones, track my workouts, and post to Strava. But because I work with my hands around sharp tools and machine coolant I would not wear my apple watch to work, just for sports. And it was always dead. And I had one apple watch fill with water while surfing. And the cellular function was overrated. So I ditched the apple watch a while back.
I also decided to get rid of the Suunto recently as well. I only wore it when I was on trips where I would dive 80+ feet. And it seemed like I was paying to get the battery replaced too often. Which costs about $50 if you want it done at a Suunto certified service center. In the end, it was just collecting dust.
I had previously ignored the MK series because I had the apple watch as a smart watch and the suunto. Then, after selling both of those, I had been eyeballing the Mk2 but the price tag was just more than I wanted to spend. The Mk2s, however, has a price that is not that far off from the Suunto and apple watch combined and they are all wrapped up into one unit (including a rechargeable battery).
A really intriguing feature of the Mk2s is that it not only connects to headphones and smart phones, but it will connect to other Garmin devices like the inReach satellite communicators. Connecting to the inReach allows for weather updates and satellite messaging right from the watch, a feature that would be really convenient when you're out of cellular range and your inReach is your only weather update. This will also allow you to use the inReach while it is in the Dive Case. If you're like me and you find yourself on lots of questionably seaworthy vessels in remote places then this inReach feature will help bring peace of mind. Now you can have the equipment to call for rescue on your body whether you are at the helm or in the water.
I have also reached out to Garmin to see if the Mk2s, like the Quatix 5, will control the Garmin autopilot and Fusion stereo controls. I will update this post as soon as I get an answer to those questions or if I am successful getting these features to work.
As for the fit, the body is just a bit smaller than the suunto but the screen is larger than the suunto. And when comparing it to the the standard sized Mk2, the screen on the Mk2 is 1.4" while the Mk2s has a 1.2" screen. It is is available in three colors: Carbon Gray DLC, Rose Gold, and Mineral Blue. And judging by these colors Garmin is definitely trying to appeal to female customers, which makes sense, because the original size of the Mk2 is very very big. Probably too big for many female wrists. And while I am sure I would get used to it, the Mk2 feels big even on my big wrist. The Mk2s, however, feels smaller on my wrist. Similar to an apple watch. Perhaps it is borderline too small, but it's hard to say when you have been trying on multiple watches all day. I will be using the watch for the next week or two and can then give you a more accurate opinion of the size after that time. For now though, I am just happy that these watches are coming down in price.
If you have any questions about this or any other product, please give us a ring or stop by our Fort Lauderdale showroom. Or click here to go to see the Mk2s in our store.
]]>
Here at Headhunter we pride ourselves on building high quality equipment. In order to do this we spend countless hours designing, testing, and reworking our ideas. We also love to listen to customer feedback. No mater how much we test, the shear scale of our customer's experiences towers over the hours that we can put in. So when you speak, we listen.
Going into 2021 we decided to take a deep dive into our roller spears. Specifically, the roller band assembly and improving how it functions. We had had some customers come to us with issues that they experienced in the water and we wanted to address those. We also saw room for improvement in how the band is replaced.
Let's start with the biggest improvement, where the hand loop attaches to the band. Previously, we had used a 600 lb. blue dyneema loop and our hi-vis orange hand strap would connect to that dyneema loop via a stainless steel quick-link. We really liked the quick-link, but the dyneema loop would often make it difficult to change out the power bands. Feeding the quick-link through this loop was a process. To solve this we developed a custom swivel that allows us to easily connect the hand-loop to the band while also giving us 360 degrees of rotation. This rotation really makes loading the spear easier and more comfortable. And now buying and replacing your band is much easier to do yourself.
Another issue we had with our rollers was where the roller band attached to the spear itself. We originally used an industrial heat-shrink product. But, depending on age and how the spear was used and stored, this heat shrink could work itself loose. We tried a few different methods to improve this connection point and after a couple months of testing we now offer all the roller spears with an attachment point made of toughened epoxy.
Important Travel Docs:
Travel Application from Bahamas Ministry of Health
Entering the Bahamas by Air BCAA Letter
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On June 2, 2020, the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation, along with the Tourism Readiness and Recovery Committee, a group comprised of public and private sector partners, announced a collaborative plan for re-opening the country’s borders and tourism sector.
Phase 1, beginning on June 15, will allow for international boaters, yachters and private aviation to return to the destination.
Also, during this phase, commercial airlines will be allowed to bring in Bahamian citizens, legal residents, home-owners qualifying for economic permanent residency, or the immediate family members or significant others of any of these groups.
All returning persons will continue to have to register at a Bahamas embassy or consulate and obtain a COVID-19 test with a negative result.
Additionally, during Phase 1 hotels will re-open for staff to return to work and put in place all the measures required to ensure they are ready to welcome guests at the onset of Phase 2.
Phase 2, beginning July 1, allows for the resumption of international travel, including:
If your wondering what could be donated, here is a list of items that have been requested:
Hygiene products
I am writing this email to tell you about one of the most beautiful places I have seen on this planet and how it might be turned into a cruise ship terminal. I am referring to the southern tip of the island of Eleuthera in The Bahamas, a place known as Lighthouse Beach. Disney Cruise Lines (DCL) has convinced the Bahamian government to let them sign a 50 year lease and given them permission to build a $250 million cruise ship facility. A facility that will include a .6 mile long pier built on pristine coral reefs and will be built to handle more than a million tourists per year. At the heart of this email is a simple request that you help fight this development by signing this PETITION on the change.org website.
SIGN PETITION HERE
In all my travels around the world to tropical countries I can honestly say that this spit of land is one of, if not the most, breathtaking pieces of unspoiled nature that I have ever seen. On top of that, it boasts pristine reefs and is a rich part of the local history. Because of the allure of this area I have been following this development. I will tell the story, as I understand it, from reading various news publications, talking to locals, and visiting the proposed site.
Disney has been looking around Eleuthera for a site to build another private island for years now. In 2016 they were surveying Egg Island near Spanish Wells as a potential site for a cruise ship terminal. The plan was to dredge out the shallow lagoons in the center of the island as well as the flats surrounding Egg Island. The destruction of these estuaries alarmed everyone in Spanish Wells and a petition was started. Disney had to perform an environmental impact study and Disney finally pulled out of the project claiming that "the island's marine environment could not sustain a development of that magnitude." So their search continued and they set their sights on Lighthouse Point Beach at the other end of Eleuthera.
Last year a group called Lighthouse Point Partners tried to fight Disney. They proposed to build a 100 room eco resort that would be Bahamian owned and operated and provide similar economic outputs for the island. It would keep the profits in Eleuthera and in The Bahamas. This plan would also have a much lighter environmental impact than a ship pier and would create both a national park and an environmental education and research facility. Their plan can be seen HERE. Even though they had raised $30 million the fund the project, in early March of this year, a deal was struck with Disney behind closed doors. More information about this deal can be found online, I will place some links at the bottom of this email as well.
I do want to be clear about something. I understand how important a project like this can be to The Bahamas, and I want to see The Bahamas prosper. And according to what I have read, approximately 75% of tourists visiting The Bahamas do so on a cruise ship. That's a staggering number. But according to the Minister of Tourism these passengers only account for 11% of all spending by foreigners. Most of the money spent by cruise passengers funnels back to the cruise lines, not to the local economy. So if The Bahamas wants to sell part of their country to cruise tourism that has a lower economic impact than land based tourism, why sell the most pristine and beautiful places? Why not use MSC and their rehabilitation of Ocean Cay as an example? MSC took a former industrial site and is transforming it into a resort. They have removed garbage and scrap metal. They have planted 75,000 trees and shrubs. And they just got government approval to create a marine reserve protected area (MPA) around the island. And while I am sure that the MPA will upset some non-bahamians, this project in general has rehabbed an otherwise discarded piece of land, protected its waters, and will have very little negative impact on local access (since it is so remote) all while providing over 100 jobs for Bahamians. This seems like a much better use of foreign investment, as opposed to taking pristine land and reef and developing it. If Egg Island couldn't handle "Development of that Magnitude" why is Lighthouse Point any different?
This is why I am asking for you to sign the PETITION. Disney is currently conducting their environmental impact assessments and there is one last chance to protect this area and give Disney an opportunty to invest in improving an area of The Bahamas instead of dismantling one.
Thank you for your time,
Brad Thornbrough & The Headhunter Crew
Links:
http://www.savelighthousepoint.com
https://thenassauguardian.com/2018/08/31/sustainability-of-cruise-tourism-in-the-bahamas/
https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-disney-port-protest-20180927-story.html
]]>
For any of you looking for a true out-island experience look no further than Crooked Island. Its a great spot for a mixed bag of activities. The winter is when the wahoo are thick and swell fills in. And as spring rolls around, tuna and marlin start to show. The diving on the wall, while deep and challenging, can be rewarding. And the bonefishing is epic as well. It no surprise Carter Andrews spent 15 years as a fishing guide there.
]]>We have run a few group trips to Crooked in the past and had an epic time. The fish are deeper, so expect to dive 45 feet minimum with many spots on the wall being nearly 100 feet deep. But you will find monster hogfish and snapper. We even saw a few blacks well over the 80 lb. mark. But crooked is the kind of place to go if you want to do more than just spearfish all day. The tuna fishing, trolling and deep dropping are all great. And if you're lucky, you can paddle out to the reef by Bird Rock and surf the right that breaks there.
Three years ago Hurricane Joaquin blasted Crooked Island head on. And the local economy was impacted in a big way. But they are bouncing back and have a few places open for rentals, Including the house you see below. For more information contact:
Andy Gibson - seaside@hotmail.com (1 242 464-8257)
]]>
"Ling season opened July 1st and I left the dock running an overnight charter. After a successful all night fishing trip, I returned to the dock dropped off my clients and launched the Cowabunga. I ran back out about 50 miles to where I spotted some Lings in June. After shooting a couple large black rockfish, I spotted him at the end of my breath hold. I swam to the surface and began my breath up. I dropped down on him, swam up and hit him perfect. He never had a chance."- Donnie
]]>For anglers fishing from private recreational vessels, the recreational red snapper season starts June 11 in Gulf state and federal waters and will remain open through July 20, closing July 21. For-hire operations that do not have a federal reef fish permit may also participate in this season but are limited to fishing for red snapper in state waters only.
The federal season for for-hire operations with federal reef fish permits starts June 1 and runs through July 21, closing July 22.
Anglers fishing from private recreational boats will need to have their recreational saltwater fishing license (unless exempt) and will need to have Gulf Reef Fish Angler on their license (includes those that are exempt) to target red snapper or other certain reef fish in Gulf state and federal waters (excluding Monroe County). You can get this printed on a license at no cost at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com or by visiting any location you can purchase a license.
For-hire operations that do not have a federal reef fish permit and plan to target red snapper and other reef fish species will need to have State Gulf Reef Fish Charter on their license to target red snapper and other reef fish in Gulf state waters (excluding Monroe County). This can be done at no cost at a local tax collector’s office.
See FAQs on this season by visiting MyFWC.com/Snappers by clicking on “Learn more.”
Source: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/FLFFWCC/bulletins/1f45df0
Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission sent this bulletin at 06/01/2018 04:25 PM EDT
We decided to grab the pockets we had in stock and compare them all in a size 9. Most foot pockets cover a range of sizes, such as 9-10 or 8-9. So we grabbed each style of pocket with a 9 in the size which should be acurate enough for this camparison. The pockets we looked at are:
Pathos Fireblade 8-1/2 - 10 (46-48)
Salvimar Step(same as Neptonics, Hammerhead, Riffe) 8-9(42-43)
C4 300
OMER Stingray 9-10(43-44)
OMER Stingray Short 9-10(43-44)
The first thing you will notice is that the sizing is all over the place. The US men's sizes don't really match up to the European sizes shown on the blades. The bottom line is that some run small and some run large. We will be posting more on that in a subsequent article.
(Bottoms. From left to right: Salvimar, OMER Stingray Short, Pathos)
(Tendons. From left to right: Salvimar, Pathos, OMER Stingray Short, Omer Stingray)
The MOANA hybrid blade gets its name from its design. The tip of the blade is soft and the base is stiff. This allows for a lighter kick while freediving but also gives you some backbone when you need it, such as fighting a fish or swimming in harsh conditions. This stiffer base allows for a smaller and lighter tendon. One pocket that stands out to us (and has proven to be very nice in the water) is the little-known OMER Stingray "Short". This foot pocket has the same "shoe" as its big brother the Stingray but it has shorter and thinner tendons. Much thinner! And much lighter! This pocket actually won as the lightest rubber pocket of the group (the C4 300 was by far the lightest but it isn't rubber, it is a stiffer plastic). And the Stingray is widely known as a comfortable foot pocket. Right now this is one of my favorite pockets to pair with the Moana blades.
The Pathos pockets are only slightly heavier (less than 10 grams more which is only about a 2% increase). But don't let it's light weight fool you, the Pathos foot pocket is very stout. It actually features a stiff sole and tendons with softer uppers. This stiffness provides more efficient power transfer from the foot to the blade. The downside, and we think its a major downside, is that the foot pocket must be permanently glued to the fin blade. If you need to remove the foot pocket is must be cut off. If done carefully the blade can be reused, but the foot pocket is almost always destroyed at that point.
(The four above photos show how much smaller the "short" tendons are compared to the regular stingray tendons)
To weight these various products we used out mixing scale. It is precise to 00.1 grams which is far more precision than is required for this review.
]]>(All weights above shown in Grams. From top to bottom: Stingray, Stingray Short, Pathos Fireblade, Salvimar style, C4 300)
STYLE
WEIGHT(g)
OMER Stingray
656.2
OMER Stingray short
514.1
Pathos Fireblade
524
Salvimar style(Neptonics, Hammerhead, Riffe, etc)
620.6
C4 300
322.2
Here is this information we received directly from U.S. CBP:
]]>INTRODUCING A NEW OPTION FOR REPORTING YOUR PLEASURE BOAT ARRIVAL TO CBPHello SVRS member,It is our pleasure to announce that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is launching the CBP Reporting Offsite Arrival – Mobile (ROAM) app, a new way for pleasure boaters to report their U.S. entry in select locations nationwide! This app provides pleasure boaters with a convenient and efficient way to report their U.S. entry from a personal device, as opposed to calling their local CBP number. Please note: Float plans are no longer required, and the Small Vessel Reporting System (SVRS) is being discontinued in the coming months. A notice will be posted to the SVRS website with a specific date and thereafter all travelers will be directed to utilize the CBP ROAM app. Your SVRS, Local Boater, or Registered Traveler numbers will remain in effect and can be utilized and saved within the app to expedite reporting.What is the CBP ROAM app?The CBP ROAM app is a free mobile application that provides a new and faster option for pleasure boaters to report their U.S. entry to CBP. Travelers can use their personal smart device (or a tablet located at partner businesses) to satisfy reporting requirements in select areas. All travelers, regardless of nationality or citizenship, are eligible to use the CBP ROAM app.Where can the CBP ROAM app be used?Currently, the CBP ROAM app can be used to report U.S. entry by pleasure boat in Florida, select locations in Minnesota, and in the Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence River area between Buffalo and Ogdensburg, NY. Additional locations are being added, and travelers should contact their local port of entry to confirm whether arrival submissions via the CBP ROAM app are accepted.Download CBP ROAM on your Android or Apple device! Detailed instructions on how to install and use the app on a personal device are attached for your reference. For more information on the CBP ROAM app, visit the CBP ROAM page on CBP’s website. For CBP ROAM questions or comments, please reach out to cbproam@cbp.dhs.gov.This program is a pilot and is still under development; please report any difficulties or comments to this email box and we will respond as quickly as possible.Happy boating and stay safe!U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Walker's Cay was just far enough from Florida and just small enough to go unchanged for decades. As the rest of the Abacos boomed with development and tourism, Walker's small size and private ownership allowed it to keep its charm and personality.
When I was 10 I caught my first bonefish right off Walker's. I remember my friend Dave Lee and I running a small Dolphin skiff from the marina to Great Sale and fly fishing all day for bonefish, barracuda, and sharks. We went out for a day with Billy Black on the Duchess and caught wahoo and Mahi just off the reef. And coming in I'll never forget seeing swell hit the reef in the pass and breaking, the first surfable outer reef break my eyes had ever seen. In college, Jason Norcross and I spent 5 weeks in the Walker's Marina on his dad's 31 contender. We set up a tent on the bow every night and slept on air mattresses. We had a $69 window unit plugged into shore power and setup to blow cold air on us. And we spearfished all day every day. It was one of the most formative trips of my life. And that 31 contender was named The Headhunter and it became the namesake for our brand when Jason and I started Headhunter Spearfishing in 2002.
All that changed in 2005 when hurricanes devastated the island. With the hotel and marina in shambles, the Island was closed to the public. And has remained closed. But it looks like there is about to be another chapter written in the Walker's Cay story. A press release this week announced that Texas businessman and philanthropist Carl Allen has purchased the island and will soon begin a “phase one development plan”.
Not a lot of details were given regarding his plans for the island, but he did mention that he has been going since he was 12 and has a love for Walker's and the surrounding community. I hope he can steer this project in the right direction and restore Walker's to its former glory.
]]>
This week Luke Maillis used his Headhunter Spearfishing NOMAD polespear to shoot and land the largest Cubera Snapper on record. It is now a pending IUSA spearfishing world record for the polespear/sling division and is 8 pounds larger than the speargun record!!
"Today I checked off one of my life goals, shooting This massive 130 lb Cubera Snapper. The most glorious pending World record reef fish in the Atlantic Ocean. Taken down with my Headhunter Nomad pole pear and belt reel. After I shot a Nassau grouper on a reef in 50 ft of water. I saw this Cubera snapper out on the sand. I immediately knew it was a world record fish. I watched him while breathing up, waiting to make my move. I noticed he was swimming towards a ledge, I waited until he swam under the ledge then immediately dived down and had my pole spear cocked and ready. I dropped down under the ledge and saw him face to face. He started to turn and run when I took aim and landed the shot right in the face. He took off running and peeling off line from my belt reel. I chased behind clearing the line from tangling on the reef and watched him run into a deep cave. I went back to the surface for air and started to play him on the belt reel. Letting out slack and pulling him back out of the cave. After 10 to 15 minutes of fighting him he finally swam out of the cave and I began to muscle him up to the surface. I was so scared going to grab him by the gills as he lunged towards me with his mouth open. I finally grabbed him by the gills and called the boat over. Got him in the boat and stood in awe of his majestic size.. the fish of a lifetime.
I'm very impressed with the Headhunter Nomad pole spear. It is the most durable spear I've used and I am in awe that it stood up to the giant Cubera after being bashed around in a reef. It's accuracy is on point and you really get your money's worth with this spear. Great job on making a spear that landed my fish of a lifetime.
- Luke Maillis(World Record Holder/8X freedive record holder/guide)
Two years ago we set out to engineer a robust spear that could handle any situation. The result is what we now call the NOMAD. This pole spear is extremely durable, lightening fast and hits like a bull. Made from a proprietary composite tubing and 17-4ph heat treated stainless steel fittings, this pole spear is ridiculously rugged. By combining the 3' front, 3' back and optional 2' and 3' mid sections, the spear can be configured as a 6', 8', 9', or 10' spear with an additional 18" injector rod and tip. Another great perk of this spear is that it breaks down to 38" for travel.
For more information, please don't hesitate giving us a call at (954) 745-0747 or shooting us an email at sales@headhunterspearfishing.com
]]>At FWC's December meeting in Gainesville, they took final action to approve several changes to the management of cobia in state waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
These changes are based on stakeholder input and concerns from anglers, and will further promote sustainable management of this fishery.
Approved changes will go into effect Feb. 1, 2018, and include:
The current 33-inch minimum size limit will not change.
For more information or to view the presentations given at the Commission meeting, visit MyFWC.com/Commission and select “Commission Meetings,” then click on the link below “Next Meeting.”
Source: http://myfwc.com/news/news-releases/2017/december/07/cobia/
]]>Article written by: Agence France-Presse
Date Published: November 26, 2017 - 11:30 AM EST
Coral bred in one part of the Great Barrier Reef was successfully transplanted into another area, Australian scientists said Sunday, in a project they hope could restore damaged ecosystems around the world.
In a trial at the reef's Heron Island off Australia's east coast, the researchers collected large amounts of coral spawn and eggs late last year, grew them into larvae and then transplanted them into areas of damaged reef.
When they returned eight months later, they found juvenile coral that had survived and grown, aided by underwater mesh tanks.
"The success of this new research not only applies to the Great Barrier Reef but has potential global significance," lead researcher Peter Harrison of Southern Cross University said.
"It shows we can start to restore and repair damaged coral populations where the natural supply of coral larvae has been compromised."
Harrison said his mass larval-restoration approach contrasts with the current "coral gardening" method of breaking up healthy coral and sticking healthy branches on reefs in the hope they will regrow, or growing coral in nurseries before transplantation.
He was optimistic his approach, which was earlier successfully trialled in the Philippines in an area of reef highly degraded by blast fishing, could help reefs recover on a larger scale.
"The results are very promising and our work shows that adding higher densities of coral larvae leads to higher numbers of successful coral recruits," he added.
The Great Barrier Reef, the largest living structure on Earth, is reeling from an unprecedented second-straight year of coral bleaching because of warming sea temperatures linked to climate change.
The chief scientist of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, the government agency that manages the area, said there was a need for such efforts amid the accelerating impacts of climate change.
"The success of these first trials is encouraging — the next challenge is to build this into broader scale technology that is going to make a difference to the Reef as a whole," David Wachenfeld said.
Published by: PRI.org
]]>The view out of the car’s window was an ominous one. Houses were already boarded up, boats hauled out, and a sense of frantic preparation was in the air. Super Storm Irma was just 4 days away and currently it was pointed right at the southern Bahamas. After more than three months that covered 1600 nautical miles of diving, it was time to go home.
As a native Floridian it is easy to take for granted how close we are to some of the world’s most epic waters. Over the years I have taken boats from Florida to fishing grounds like Bermuda, Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, and throughout the Caribbean. And as fun as the marina life can be when you’re working on a sport boat and fishing tournaments, I have always preferred the solitude of anchoring out in the middle of nowhere. Just good friends, empty coastlines, and wide open oceans. We are lucky enough to have some very remote areas right in our backyard. Our neighbors to the east, the Bahamas.
For our summer 2017 trips we decided to change it up a little. In past years our charter service, Bahamas Spearfishing Expeditions, had set up some epic trips with big groups of up to 11 people and large liveaboard BAHAMAS 2017 1 vessels. We had comfortable accommodations, great food, multiple dive boats, and plenty of hot showers and cold drinks. But as many of you know, diving with a large group of spearfishermen can be a challenge. As an organizer and spearfishing guide it can be a logistical nightmare.
So for 2017 my wife Allison(Ali) and I decided to change it up a little. We wanted to plan the various legs of our guided trip around using our 26 foot center console and setting up smaller sized groups in some more remote locations than we would normally go in our own boat. We would then utilize other vessels, rental houses and even tents to set up different basecamps as we travelled to the various islands we intended to visit.
The rest of the article is available can be viewed at Spearingmagazine.com
]]>The proposal by the Bahamian government, according to the Guardian, states: “While realization of a reasonable return on an investment in agriculture is a relatively slow process, requiring substantial capitalization over many years, participating companies in the initiative will within months of commencement of operations realize positive cash flow from the sale of seafood.”
Under the reported terms of the deal, the government would lease to 100 companies — each jointly owned by Chinese and Bahamians shareholders — 10,000 acres in Andros Island, along with fishing licenses.
“It is anticipated that the agricultural products and the seafood will be used either for local consumption or will be exported to China or the U.S.A. for sale,” the proposal says. “The management of participating companies will resolve to do what is in their best interest.”
Commercial fishing for conch, lobster, snapper and grouper are mainstays of the Andros Island’s economy. However, the indication is that the Chinese firms want to target dolphin, kingfish, marlin, tuna and wahoo.
Furthermore, Florida State Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Executive Director Nick Wiley said the potential deal, as reported, could impact Florida’s commercial and sport-fishing industries.
“China, their interests in this, would get exclusive access to fisheries in Bahamian waters,” Wiley said. “A lot of people may not realize this, but the boundary between the United States waters and Bahamian waters is still in dispute. It’s still not been clarified, so that further makes this an issue.”
The TRIBUNE 242 has just reported this:
By AVA TURNQUEST
Tribune Chief Reporter
aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
PRIME Minister Perry Christie emphatically stated yesterday that the proposed $2.1bn agri-fisheries venture with Chinese investors at the centre of widespread public controversy would never have been approved by his government.
Mr Christie spoke directly to the infamous proposal as he pushed back against claims from the Official Opposition that the government’s bid to establish a select committee to investigate the sale of BTC was a diversion tactic.
“The government of the Bahamas did not agree to any such proposition,” he told the House of Assembly yesterday, “did not consider any such proposition, it did not come before the government as a proposal, and it would not have reached the government because it would have been rejected outright.
“We do not do that in the Bahamas, and I keep on saying you cannot have a debate where you miss the fact that it did not happen. Therefore, you are attributing to the government in debate what could have happened if the government had agreed, and you’re planting in people’s mind and this is more than disingenuous, it is a commitment they have made to trying to exploit an issue that is a non-issue.”
The proposal reportedly projects a $2.1bn injection into the local economy over ten years through an equal partnership between Bahamians and the People’s Republic of China. The proposal also reportedly included the option to lease 10,000 acres of Crown land in Andros.
Agriculture and Fisheries Minister V Alfred Gray has admitted that he gave Bahamas Ambassador to China Paul “Andy” Gomez the go-ahead to have discussions on the proposal, but has stressed that the matter is not before the government for consideration.
Mr Gray has said the ideas put forth in the proposal, which was leaked to the media, came from Mr Gomez and not Chinese investors.
The proposal has been condemned by various local and international environmental lobby groups, who raised concerns over sustainability, and sovereignty in light of China’s grisly environmental record.
Montagu MP Richard Lightbourn yesterday questioned why Mr Gray would encourage further discussion of the proposal if there was no intention to agree to its terms.
“Why would the member for MICAL waste the time and effort of the government and government officials to negotiate with a government when you’re going to say there was no intention whatsoever to give them fishing rights?” Mr Lightbourn asked.
“Well then why are you negotiating it? Why are you even discussing it? If that is the case it look like the member for MICAL went out on a limb, carried out his own agenda, I would have thought in those circumstances if he had no permission from the government to even discuss this, he should be dismissed.”
Defending his administration over the controversy, Mr Christie said: “It has become a matter of urgent and extreme importance that the other side is using to exploit emotions in this country. The government of the Bahamas has fastidiously committed itself to protecting the waters of the Bahamas for Bahamian fisherman, full stop, no further.”
Mr Christie explained that every minister - within his portfolio - had the right to explore opportunities to advance the country. He noted that some government MPs were philosophically and fundamentally opposed to foreign involvement in both farming and fishing.
“We are not going to compromise and no discussion will lead to a conclusion that this government would have contemplated or agreed for that to happen,” Mr Christie said.
“A minister in association with anyone could explore opportunities for the Bahamas but he has to bring that as a proposal to his colleagues, who will make a determination as to whether they would agree,” the Prime Minister added. “That’s my side, that’s their side (Opposition), that’s how constitutional government works and my government would not have agreed to that in any event.”
Last week, Lisa Benjamin and Dr Adelle Thomas, assistant professors and co-founders of the Climate Change Initiative at the University of the Bahamas, said that significant gaps existed in the Bahamas’ commercial legislative policies. The lecturers posited that gaps were so great that it was hard to imagine that the “scale of commercial fishing and processing enterprises anticipated by the proposal would abide by the limits currently set out in legislation”.
The professors said without regulations on matters such as catch or vessel sizes, or the capacity to enforce any of those restrictions, the Bahamas could join the “long list of failed fisheries sectors” in the Caribbean “well within a ten-year period”.
This deal could not only drastically affect our friends in the Bahamas but has the potential to have huge impacts on Florida fisheries as well. Some friends of ours have passed along a link to a petition to help stop this deal. Please take some time out of your day to take a look at the petition and to forward to anyone who might be affected.
Thank you all very much for reading this and for your support.
We are just finishing our limited run of sling shafts with an integrated slip-tip. Perfect for soft fish and/or long shots. These are 9/32" heat treated 17-4ph shafts with our normal slide ring setup on the back-end and our deadly Showstopper slip tip on the business end. The tip is rigged with 1000 lb. spectra and is hollow spliced with a double brummel. The shafts come with the rigged tip, slide ring, and end cap. Ready to use out of the box. Because we only have a small quantity of these we are offering them for sale on our website only starting on November 25, 2016 and will ship approximately December 1, 2016.
Here is a video of Headhunter team diver Joe Cooper landing a yellowfin tuna on this new shaft!
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In 2007 I took a few months off from my job as crew on a sportfishing boat to go on another spearfishing pilgrimage. I started with a few weeks in Baja with GR Tarr, Brian Head, Craig Clasen and friends shooting wahoo and other pelagics. Then I hopped to the middle of the Pacific to meet up with long time friend Cam Kirkconnell for a 2 week stay in Tavarua, Fiji. From there I flew to Sydney and hung out with Ian Puckridge, then to Brisbane to spend some time with the Adreno crew. And finally I went on a 2 week liveaboard to the Coral Sea. That is where I met a badass spearfisherman named Michael Takach.
Michael is one of the pioneers of POV video shooting for spearfishing. Back then we didn't have GoPros, so Michael would hold a sony point & shoot camera in one hand and his gun in the other, diving to depths of 100 feet to shoot jobfish, dogtooth tuna, and other difficult species. His video clips were first of a kind.
Over the years I have met up with Michael Takach and his partner in crime Jessie Cripps for some epic trips. We have camped in the jungles on Panama, Chased wahoos in Mexico, swamped pangas in the surf, played with crocodiles, chased Whalesharks, shot giant tunas, and much much more.
(Kelsea Albert, Julie Riffe, Brandon Wahlers, Jessie Cripps, Michael Takach, and myself in Panama)
Michael and Jessie have just released there newest video(for their sponsor, Riffe) and I was lucky enough to be there for some of the adventures they have caught on film. I wish I could have been there for all of them! I hope you all get as big a kick out of this video as I did. I am pumped to get in the water again soon!!
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Two boats were pulled over in the St. Lucie Inlet and searched, revealing 120 illegal lobster tails and 12 queen conch. The boats claimed to be returning from West End.
I am asked all the time what the regulations are for bringing fish, conch, and lobster back from the Bahamas. I put up a post about these regulations here. Keep in mind that when you transport your catch from one country to another you are responsible to abide by the fishing/possesion regulations of BOTH countries. That means, while you might be allowed 6 conch in the Bahamas, you are allowed none in Florida waters. And even though you may posses up to 12 lobster per person in most of Florida, you are only allowed 10 lobster per VESSEL in the Bahamas, and bahamian lobster have to be 3 1/2", which is bigger than the 3" minimum size in Florida.
I have been all through the Bahamas over the past 20 years both for work and recreation. And I have recently spent a lot of time in the Southern Bahamas. An area that was very unspoiled for a long time but has now been hit extremely hard by poachers from the Dominican Republic and other Caribbean nations. These poachers take everything. In some areas, you are lucky to find barracudas larger than 12 inches. All of the conch and lobster have been harvested. The Bahamians know how to maintain their fishery. But the Dominican fisherman don't care about sustainability, and the Bahamian fisherman see Dominican boats on their southern border all the time. In fact, reports claim that between 30 and 65 Dominican long range fishing boats are working the southern Bahamas.
There are a lot of Bahamians that are very upset with the poaching that is going on in the Bahamas by foreigners. And there is talk of changing the fishing regulations and increasing the enforcement of their regulations. And an american boat taking 120 lobsters is the same to them as a dominican boat taking 10 tons. They see all of it as poaching and as a major threat. So please think about this next time you want to transport your catch across the border.
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For those of you that don't know what the Bahamas Spearfishing Expeditions are, here is a summary. We setup a live-aboard boat for a month in the Bahamas and we took it to some very remote places. Places so remote we had to use chartered airplanes to get people there. From April 22 to May 17 we covered about 500 miles of reef through the Southern Bahamas. Places like Andros, The Ragged Cays, Mira Por Vos, and Crooked Island. We dove some incredible places, shot 10 world records, and ate like kings. I am sad that it is all over, it was truly a trip of a lifetime. Can't wait to do it again next year!
One of the best parts of this trip was how much gear we had. We had tons of float lines and floats for everyone, slings with or without reels, polespears, gopros, etc. So guests could bring a minimal amount of gear and still be able to do whatever they wanted. For many of the guests, this was their first time using a polespear with a float and float line, so it was a great learning experience. And we had tons of cable, crimps, and all the other tools and parts to make sure everyone's gear was working. Every afternoon the guides would go through the guests polespears and slings and sharpen tips, freshen up cable, staighten shafts, etc. The fish of a lifetime could have been around any corner and everyone was prepared!
Our days started by waking up to a killer breakfast and relaxing on the back deck of the mothership. After that we would walk 20 feet and get onto our dive boat for the day. Our gear was already loaded and ready to go, no wasted time. We had a 36' sportfisherman with a dive platform, a new 25' contender and a 25' mako at our disposal. There was also a 17' skiff we could use for shore excursions.
Most days we would start our diving with warm ups on the shallow patch reefs. Diving between 10 and 25 feet, these areas where loaded with mutton snapper and hogfish. After we had dinner in the boat and everyone was warmed up, we would head out the the drop to look for seamonsters.
We setup the Guerrilla Slings with removable reels so we could free-shaft in the shallows then switch to a reel in the deep. It was a very effective tool.
We spent at least half of every day on the drop. The reef edge varies so much throughout the Bahamas, and we put almost 500 miles of reef under our hull. We dove everything from gentle rolling drop offs to vertical walls. Some spots were deep and had huge boulders, other spots came up from 600 feet to 30 feet. We even found inshore blue holes that were 144 feet deep!
This was a blue hole in the middle of a 20 foot deep reef! The boat's depth sounder read 144 feet at the deepest part. You can even see it on google earth:
I don't think we had a day with less than 80 foot visibility, and we had 200 foot vis in some areas! The cleanest water I have ever seen.
Not only did we find some crazy reefs, we also stumbled upon this ship wreck. Hopefully it will still be their next year. For more information on how to join one of our 2015 trips, sign up for our newsletter or email us!
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For those of you that dont know what the Bahamas Spearfishing Expeditions are, here is a summary. We are taking a liveaboard boat all around the southern Bahamas to spearfish, fish and explore our way from Andros though the Jumento Cays to Crooked Island. Our goal isnt quantity of fish, it is quality. We will be going after fish that guests have never shot before. Fish like giant black grouper, wahoo on the polespear, huge hogfish, Hard fighting african pompano, and the elusive 20 lb. mutton snapper. Is there a fish that you have always wanted? Do you want to learn how to improve your skills with pole spears and hawaiian slings? Have you always wanted to see the remote corners of the Bahamas? Come join us this April and May! We have 2 spots left April 22-27 in Southern Andros and the Tongue of the Ocean. And we have 3-4 spots left May 10-17 exploring crooked island. This is an insane time of year to fish and dive crooked island. Marlin, wahoo, tuna, and mahi mahi are thick. Not to mention the reef fish. We will have all sort of Blue water slings and polespears to help us take down pelagic fish like never before! And Cameron Kirkconnell will be joining us in Crooked as well. So this will be an epic trip! Here is the brochure:
If you have any questions about these insane trips, don't hesitate to email us or call us. And if the info above isn't enough to get you excited, check out this video where we get a wahoo on polespear off Andros!Here is the brochure:
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1. A person shall fish by the traditional method of angling with a hook or lure attached to a line held in the hand or attached to a pole, rod or reel;
2. A person, unless otherwise authorized by the respective permit, shall not use a spear, a fish trap, or a net other than a landing net;
3. Each vessel shall use not more than six rods or reels unless the operator is in possession of a permit authorizing the use of more rods or reels;
4. A total of no more than 18 fish of any pelagic species or migratory fishery per vessel. (Kingfish, Dolphin, Tuna or Wahoo etc.) Any resource not intended to be used, shall not be injured unnecessarily but be returned to the sea alive. And if for example, a tournament participant who may have caught 25 pelagic fish when leaving the Bahamas, they will only be allowed to take the maximum of 18 of those fish with them.
5. Vessels may not have on board more than 60 pounds or 20 fish of any demersal fishery resources (groupers, snappers, hog fish etc.) and a maximum of only 6 conch, and not more than 10 crawfish/spiny lobster per vessel. Turtles are now forbidden for capture and possession by both foreigners and Bahamians alike.
6. The closed season for Nassau Grouper remains unchanged, that being from December 1 through February 29. The closed season for spiny lobster - April 1st - July 31st.
If we increase the size limits of certain fish now, we might be able to avoid a complete closure in the future. And lets face it, a 12" hogfish is TINY!! The limit should be 16". It might take a year or two, but at some point there will be a bunch of barely legal 16" hogs swimming around instead of barely legal 12" hogfish. The same goes for mutton snapper.
I know I am a very prejudiced individual when it comes to triggerless spearfishing, so many of you might not share my views, but I do feel that eliminating spearguns in certain areas would be a good thing. It would not only give the fish more of a chance but require that spearfishermen would have to improve their skill levels to successfully harvest fish. And you CAN harvest fish without a speargun, believe me!!
So take a look at their article and see what you think. What would you like to see happen?
]]>XPanama is an incredible spot to visit. And there are some great fish opportunities there. Check out some video of panama or a blog post we did about the area. If you would like to know more details, check out Tim's trip webpage or contact Tim directly. tim@palapasventana.com]]>"Hi guys - I went to Panama the last two years and had a great time spearing yellowfin tuna - everyone on the trips was successful and landed fish over 80 lbs - and as big as 130 but much bigger fish were seen - and I'm going back!!!I have organized a trip at the killer lodge that I was at last year with ac rooms, no bugs, a pool, great food and insane boats - they don't usually do divers (high end rod and reel folks are their norm) but are testing the waters on a few trips a year - the dates are solid and fishy - price includes all meals and boats and transfer from David, tips, booze and your flight to panama city and panama city to David are not includedI have very limited space 5 - 10 total on this trip so if you want to join me - email me asap to grab a spot - lets go whack some tuna!!"
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After nearly 4 years of prototypes and R&D, We are in production with our version of a sling. This sling is so radically different from other slings that it might even be its own class of spearfishing equipment. We call it a triggerless speargun, you are going to call it your new best friend. Although we can't give away all out secrets at once, we are going to start with this little video clip of one of our old prototypes (which happened to land the amberjack world record!). So for now, check out the video and stay tuned, we will be announcing pricing and dates in the coming weeks, as well as pictures(the one in the video is nothing compared to what the final version looks like!) Also, there will be a pre-sale for anyone interested in getting one for a Christmas present. So make sure you forward this email to your friends and spouses as a christmas "hint"!!! Enjoy!
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